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LG’s new G4 – Android flagship or sinker?

In the battle to be the iPhone-equivalent “flagship” of the Android system, Samsung’s S series and LG’s G series keep staking a fresh claim. It’s the latter that’s about to make the next move with the G4 and it looks to be a case of evolution, not revolution.

Unless LG has some surprises up its sleeve for the forthcoming launch, it appears the emphasis is on enhanced quality rather than revolutionary features. The most visible example is the rear case of the phone: LG has confirmed it will indeed be made of leather, with style and comfort the watchwords. The cover takes a full three-months to manufacture, with several parts of the finishing done by hand.

There are also the usual “best screen ever” claims, with an HD-busting resolution of 1,440 x 2,560 pixels. On the 5.5 inch display that works out at 538 pixels per inch, a third more than the iPhone 6. Not only is LG claiming the screen is significantly brighter and has a higher contrast than rivals, but it says the screen’s range of possible colours is 20 per cent above the industry standard. It also says a revision to the touchscreen technology means you can still use finger controls when the screen is wet.

On a usability note, the phone looks set to offer both a removable battery and a microSD slot, something that’s become a rarity among high-end handsets.

The main camera will have a 16 megapixel sensor, though the main selling point is a f/1.8 lens, meaning a faster shutter speed than the Samsung Galaxy G6. The key there is that you should get more detail and less blur, even in unfavourable lighting conditions.

As usual this all comes at a price. The US release looks set to cost $825 outright, which translates as £550 even before you factor in the mark-up that’s now traditional in the UK. For contract buyers, mobiles.co.uk is pegging the likely price as £30 to £34 a month. For more information visit LG.